September 22 every year is World Car Free Day. Many people across the world ride bikes to have fun, exercise or as a way to get from one place to another. In fact,4. 人们200多年前就习惯在日常生活中骑单车。Although bikes have changed a lot over the years, one thing stays the same: two wheels and a lot of fun. As an invention of great importance, just like the smart phone today, it' s worth remembering how the development of the bicycle in the late 19th century changed societies.
In the 1890s the bicycle was a must-have for people, so they could go anywhere they wanted. For the first time in the history, people were able to come and go as they pleased. There is no more need for expensive horses and carriages (马车). By 1898 cycling had become such a popular activity in the United States.
5. It is believed that the Englishman. John Starley, was the inventor of the modern bicycle. His uncle had developed the penny-farthing(经典自行车),an early type of bicycle that had a very large front wheel(轮子) and a small back wheel in 1870s. However, many people were afraid to ride such a high wheel bicycle then. So in 1885 Starley changed the bicycle with the "Rover Safety Bicycle" (罗孚安全自行车). The bike looked like the bikes we ride today. It had two wheels of the same size and a low seat between them,which made the bike safer and easier to ride.
All kinds of creative bicycles are produced, because people have new ideas and needs for bicycles every year. The design of bikes keeps changing in interesting ways. Who knows what bikes will look like in the future?
